China's legislature to amend law for environmental protection

BEIJING, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- The
Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) Monday
started its first reading of a draft amendment to the Environmental
Protection Law.

"The Environmental Protection Law,
which went into effect in 1989, was created during the primary
stage of China's reform and opening-up and does not yet fit current
economic and social requirements," said Wang Guangtao, chairman of
the NPC's Environment and Resources Protection Committee.

From 1995 to 2011, the NPC received
a total of 78 proposals to revise the law, Wang said at a bimonthly
legislative session that will be held from Monday to Friday.

The draft adds a clause that calls
for governments and environmental protection departments to release
information concerning environmental quality, pollution-related
accidents and the collection and use of pollutant discharge fees to
the public, as well as allows the public to request related
information.

The draft also forbids depositing
solid waste on farmland.

The draft calls for controlling the
total amount of major pollutants discharged. Regions that exceed
pollutant discharge limits or fail to meet environmental standards
will face suspensions for new projects that could cause more
pollution. Enditem